Snow plow



Sept. 29, 1936. w. HEWITI" 2,055,794

SNOW PLOW 7 Filed July 28, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 as 4 25 Fzytl 50 38 6 INVENTOR Sept. 29, 1936. w wn- 2,055,794

snow PLOW Filed July 28, 1953 6 Sheets-Shet 2- INVENTOR ATTORNEY I Sept. 29, 1936. w, E wrrT 2,055,794

' SNOW PLOW Filed July 28, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 l 78 I 7 c o I" i WalFl'e'i' ?:'ewiM BY g ATTORNEY M Sept. 3,9, 1936. w. HEWITT 2,055,794

INVENTOR Walter flew/fl.

ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1936. w. HEWITT 2,055,794

SNOW PLOW Filed July 28, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1936. w wrr-r 2,055,794

Snow PLOW Filed July 28, 19:53 a Sheets-Sheet e l f INVENTOR igalt'erflewzl't".

Patented Sept. 29, 1936 SNOW PLOW Walter Hewitt, Longmlre, Wash, assignor of one-half to Marlow Glenn, Longmlre, Wash.

Application July 28, 1933, Serial No. 682,596

dclaims.

Thisinvention relates to snow plows and aims primarily to provide a snow plow especially designed and adapted for completely clearing or removing snow from highways, roads, streets, trails, sidewalks, paths, or the like, when the snow has not been allowed to accumulate to excessiv'e depths thereon.

Broadly contemplated by the present invention is the'provision of a novel and improved snow plow and rotor particularly adapted for rapid and ready attachment to an automotive road vehicle in such a manner that the rotor thereof maybe driven either by the power plant of said vehicle or by a separate engine drive, and which is also adapted for similar detachment from said vehicle to permit of the latter being used for other purposes.

The invention also contemplates a novel method for clearing snow from a highway, roadway, 20 street, or the like, which consists of accumulating the snow from substantially one-half the width of the same upon the other half thereof to provide on said cleared half a path for snow transporting equipment, and as a separate and successive step clearing the snow from said other hall. together with the accumulations thereon and depositing same in said snow transporting equipment.

With the above in view, the invention essen- 30 tially resides and is more particularly concerned in the provision of a novel and improved snow plow, which in its preferred embodiment comprises an angularly disposed plow blade adapted to be detachably mounted upon or connected 35 to an automotive road vehicle for pushing the snow aside as said vehicle advances; a rotor mounted at the snow accumulating end of said plow blade for throwing the pushed snow further aside, said rotor being adapted to be driven either by the power plant of said vehicle or by a separate engine drive as desired and found most expedient; and means controllable from the driver's seat of,said vehicle for raising the plow blade and rotor relative to the ground; all of which are important features and elements of the present snow plow and are to be correlated in the broad aim of enhancing the efliciency of the same for the uses and purposes for which it is especially designed and primarily intended.

The above, and additional objects which will hereinafter be more specifically treated are attained by such means as are shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the followmg specification and then more clearly pointed out in the claims, which are appended hereto and form part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, in which there are illustrated several embodiments of the invention and throughout the several views of which 5 like characters of reference designate similar parts:--

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a snow plow comprehended by the present invention, as it would appear when operatively connected to its correlated automotive road vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation oi. the same.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating the preferred mode of attaching the present snow plow to its correlated automotive road' vehicle.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through 5-5 of Fig. 1, illustrating the manner of mounting the push bars upon castor wheels.

Figs. 6, 6A and 'I are vertical longitudinal sec tions taken through 66, 6 A--8A and 1--|, respectively, of Fig. 1, illustrating one of the mechanisms for effecting the mechanical raising and lowering of the plow blade and rotor.

Fig. 8 is a similar section of the plow rotor taken through 8-8 of Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of the snow plow, embodying a separate 30 engine drive for the plow rotor and manually operable mechanism for raising and lowering the plow blade and rotor.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view in medial horizontal section of the mechanism for 35 manually raising and lowering the plow blade and rotor of said modified form.

Fig. 11 is a transverse vertical section taken through lI-ll of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of another modified form of snow plow, embodying hydraulic apparatus for raising and lowering the plow blade and rotor.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 14 is a vertical transverse section taken through l4ll of Fig. 12 illustrating one of the hydraulic cylinders for raising and lowering the plow blade and rotor of this modified form.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section taken through ls-us of Fig. 12, illustrating the power take-01f for driving the plow rotor and hydraulic pump fromthe transmission of the vehicle.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary horizontal section of 5 the hydraulic control valve taken through iB-IB, of Fig. 13.

Fig. 17 is a diagram of a typical fleet of units employed in clearing roads or streets, and illustrating the process of clearing same according to my improved method.

Fig. 18 is a vertical transverse section of same taken through lt-IB of Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a. diagrammatic front elevation of my snow plow, as it would appear when clearing a snow bank from the side of a road or highway.

Fig. 20 is a top plan view of a further modified form of snow plow, of the type employed for clearing side walks, paths, trails, or the like.

Fig. 21 is a'side elevation thereof, and

Fig. 22 is a front elevation of the same.

Before taking up a more detailed description of the drawings, a general exposition of the specific purposes, functions and advantages of the snow plow evolved by the present invention will be'undertaken.

Heretofore, in clearing or removing snow of any depth up to approximately twelve inches, from highways, roads, or streets, it has been customary to generally employ road vehicles equipped at their forward ends with plain plow blades, adaptable to be raised and lowered from the roadway, which plow blades merely pushed the snow oil. to one side and banked the same thereat, and after each successive fall of snow, such blade plow would traverse the roadway and add to the bank of snow previously formed, thereby progressively decreasing or narrowing the efi'ective width of the roadway, until such effective width was so decreased that it was impossible for the blade plow to again traverse the roadway or operate thereover. In other words, by merely and/or successively pushing the snow oil? to the side of the roadway, in the manner above described, the problem of snow removal is not solved, but is materially aggravated.

Wherefore, it is-the primary and fundamental object of this invention to provide a snow plow, which will effectively remove snow of any depth up to approximately twelve inches from highways, roads. or streets; which will positively clear and maintain the full width of same for use by vehicular trafllc at all times and will not create any snow banks at the sides thereof, by reason of the fact that the snow is discharged or thrown by the present snow plow at or to a distance from the side of the highway or road, or is discharged into dump trucks in clearing streets; which will rapidly traverse a highway, road or street and clear many miles of same in a comparatively short time; and which is also adaptable for clearing paths, trails, sidewalks, or the like.

Beginning now the more detailed description of the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings, and referring here more particularly to Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, wherein the numeral 25 generally designates the chassis of an automotive vehicle or truck of any well known type, 26 the vehicle engine or power plant, 21 the vehicle transmission, 28 the vehicle driver's seat, and 2! the front axle of the vehicle, to which is detachably secured my novel and improved snow plow herein generally designated by the numeral ll.

To detachably secure the snow plow 30 to the vehicle 25 I provide an angle iron 3| which is mounted upon the forward side and top face of the front axle 2! between the spring mountings 20a thereof, and is rigidly clamped thereto by U-bolts 32 and plates 33. Riveted or otherwise fixedly secured in spaced relation upon the front or outer forward face of the angle iron ii are lug plates 34 to which are pivotally connected, as by pins 15, the rear ends of forwardly extending diverging push bars or struts 36, the forward ends of which are rigidly secured in divergent relation by an angularly disposed structural steel framework, substantially rectangular in formation, and herein generally designated by the numeral 31, said forward ends of said push bars 36 and framework 31 being in the present instance supported upon the ground by ball bearing castors or swivelling wheels 38 mounted upon upwardly offset laterally disposed brackets 39 extending outwardly from the forward ends of the push bars 36 and rigidly secured thereto adjacent the juncture of the same with the framework 31.

Fixedly secured to the lower corner portions of the framework 31 are vertically disposed guideways 40, wherein blocks 4i are slidably mounted, to the outer or forward faces of which is rigidly secured, in any well known manner an angularly disposed and vertically adjustable plow blade or mold board 42, which blade is adapted to extend completely across the pathway of the vehicle 25, see Figs. 1 and 3, and is curved outwardly in the direction of its width or height, and upon its upper edge is slightly return bent, as at 42a, whereby any snow which may reach said upper edge is deflected downwardly and is not permitted to fall behind the plow blade 42. Detachably secured, as by bolts 43 to the lower edge of the plow blade or mold board 42 is a replaceable cutter plate or strip 44, which latter when worn is rapidly and readily replaced, thereby materially increasing the life of the plow blade or mold board 42 Seated within the upper portions of the sliding blocks 4| and fixedly secured therein, as by pins 45, see Fig. '7, are upwardly extending vertically disposed plow blade adjusting screws 46 normally engaged at their upper ends within nuts 41, see Fig. 7, mounted for rotation and against axial movement within sectional casings 48, which are fixedly seated within gusset plates 49 rigidly secured to the upper comers of the framework 31, see Figs. 2 and 3.

The nuts 41 are connected by bevel gearing 50, see Fig. 7, to the forward ends of rearwardly extending and converging articulated shafts whichends are journalled for rotation within rearwardly extending sleeves 48a bolted, or otherwise'rigidly secured, to the rear sides of the sectional casings 48, see Figs. 1, 2 and '7, said articulated shafts at their rear or convergent ends being journalled for rotation in spaced parallel relation within a sectional control box 52 mounted upon the upper end of a headstock or hollow post 53 hereinafter more fully described. Also journalled for rotation within the control box 52 and interposed in spaced parallel symmetric relation between the rear ends of the articulated shafts Si is the rear end of a forwardly extending articulated rotor propelling shaft 54, which latter is interconnected within the control box 52 with the articulated shafts 5| by dual trains of spur gearing 55, see Figs. 6 and 6A, the spur gears of which are freely or loosely mounted upon their respective shafts, said rotor propelling shaft 54 having its spur gears connected by reversing bevel gearing 55 to the upper end of a vertically disposed countershaft 51, which extends downwardly within the headstock 53 in concentric aossnos spaced relation thereto, and at its lower end is. driveably connected, in any well known manner, to a power'take-off 55 operatively connected to the vehicle transmission 21. said headstock. 53 being rigidly secured at its base or lower end upon the casing of said power take-off 55.

interposed between the spur gears of the articulated shafts 5i and splined uponflatteram axially sliding double clutch members 55 adapted to alternately and selectively engage complemental clutch jaws 55 formed upon the'inner faces of said spur gears, see Fig. 8A. The clutch members 59 are moved out of engagement with the clutch iifl ll by forked. members 5i fixedly secured at their upper ends-to shiftin rods 52 mounted for axial movement within the upper portion of the'control box 52 in vertically aligned relation with their respective articulated shafts 5|, said rods 52 at their rearwardly projecting ends being pivotally connected to control or shifting levers t1 operatively mounted upon the rear side of said control box 52, see Fig. 6A. Also interposed between the opposing gears of the bevel gearing 55 of the rotor propelling shaft 54 and. splined upon the latter is an axially sliding double clutch member 54 adapted to 'altemately and selectively engage complemental clutch jaws 85 formed upon the inner faces of said opposing bevel gears, see Fig. 6. The clutch member 54 is moved into and out of engagement with the clutch jaws 55 by a forked member. 55 fixedly secured at its upper end to a shifting rod 51 mounted for axial movement within the upper portion of the control box 52 in vertical alignment with respect to the rotor propelling shaft 55, said rod 51 at its rearwardly projecting end being pivotally connected to a control or shifting lever 58 operatively mounted upon the rear side of said control box 52, see Fig. 6. To restrainingly engage the shifting rods 52 and 61 in a neutral or central position I provide the forward ends of same with peripheral grooves 52a and 51a, respectively, wherein spring-pressed balls 62b and 51b, respectively, are adapted to normally seat, when said shifting rods are in their respective neutral positions, as above described, and as will be manifest and apparent by referring more particularly to Fig. 6A.

Returning now to the forwardly extending rotor propelling shaft 54 for further description of the same, said shaft at its forward end is connected by bevel gearing 59 to the inner end of a laterally disposed articulated and telescopic shaft 10, the adjacent ends of said shafts 54 and II being journalled for rotation within a casing II, which in the present instance encloses the bevel gearing 69 and is preferably rigidly secured to and supported upon the push bars 36, as by a bracket or brace member 12. However, if desired, the casing ll may be detachably secured to and supported upon any suitable portion of the vehicle chassis .25, as for example, to the bumper frame of the latter.

,The telescopic shaft 10 is journalled for rotation at its outer end within a casing 13 fixedly secured to the rear or end wall of a rotor housing 14, which is bolted, or otherwise detachably secured, at its periphery as by bolts 15, to the following or rear end of the angularly disposed plow blade or mold board 42, see Fig. 1, and which in the present instance is completely open at its forward end for the purpose of permitting free and unimpeded entrance of the snow thereinto, as will hereinafter be made more apparent. The aforesaid outer end of the telescopic shaft ll is connected, within the casing 13, by bevel gearing I5 to the rear terminal of a rotor shaft 11, the rear end portion of which is :Iournalled for rotation within the rear or end wall of the rotor housing ll, while upon the forward end portion of said rotor shaft 11, which extends or projects into said rotor housing It, a rotor generally designated by the numeral 15 is operatively mounted in any well known or conventional manner, to

rotate within the housing ll, all as more clearly shown in Fig. 8, said rotor, as now constructed. comprising a hub member 15a provided with radially disposed wings Ilb having their outer terminal portionsslightly offset, upon which portions are fixedly secured arcuate blades 18c.

Formed within the peripheral walls of the rotor housing ll, preferably upon the outer side of the latter, see Figs. 1 and 3, is a delivery or discharge chute which may be formed integrally therewith, or otherwise rigidly secured thereto.

' Obviously, the type of snow plow hereinbefore described contemplates the mechanically raising and lowering of the plow blade or mold board 42,

with respect to the ground, by the power plant or engine 25 of the vehicle 25, also the driving of the'rotor 18 by such plant or engine, thus providing a snow plow which is comparatively light plow blade and rotor may be attached to any other suitable part of the vehicle, as desired and found expedient, the present showing being merely by way of illustration.

The snow plow 30, as herein shown and described, is adapted to be rapidly and readily attached, as hereinbefore stated, to any standard make of automobile truck and similarly detached therefrom, so that said truck may be utilized or employed for general hauling or trucking purposes, hence, when it is desired to use the snow plow 30 to clear a highway, road,- street, or the like, the truck 25 is driven up to the snow plow and the rear ends of the push bars 36 are attached or clamped to the front axle 29 by the angle iron 3 I, U-bolts 32 and plates 33 in a few minutes, following which the headstock 53 is installed and its countershaft 51 connected to the vehicle power take-off 58, and the casing H of the rotor propelling shaft 54, if not secured to the push bars 35, is attached to the bumper frame of the vehicle, whereupon the snow plow 30 is ready for snow clearing operations. In. order to facilitate installation of the headstock 53 the articulated shafts 5| and 54 may be disconnected or uncoupled, at points adjacent the control box 52, and after installation of the headstock is completed such shafts are again connected or coupled, in an obvious manner.

In a snow clearing operation by the snow plow 35, the vehicle operator starts the vehicle engine 25 and manipulates the controls, not shown, of the power take-off 55, to thereby impart rotation to the countershaft 51, bevel gearing 55, and the dual or reversing trains of spur gearing 55, whereupon the operator manipulates the control levers '65 to mechanically raise or lower the plow blade or mold board 42 to the desired elevation relative to the ground, this being accomplished through the media of the double clutch members 59, articulated shafts bevel gearing 58, nuts 41, screws 48 and blocks 4|. If the'plow blade 42 is to be raised the operator pulls the control levers 83 backwardly,and if said plow blade is to be lowered the operator pushes said control levers forwardly, and in either event, the clutch jaws 68 of the train of spur gearing 55 involved are engaged by the complemental jaws of the clutch members 59, which latter in turn impart rotation to the articulated shafts 5|, bevel gearing 50 and nuts 41, the rotating of which causes upward or downward movement of the screws 46, sliding blocks 4| and plow blade 42, dependent of course upon the direction of rotation of the nuts 41, as will be obvious and manifest. Having effected and obtained the desired adjustment of the plow blade 42, the operator then pushes the rotor control lever 68 forwardly to engage the clutch member 64 with the complemental jaws 65 of the forwardly disposed bevel gear of the bevel gearing 56, whereby rotation is imparted to the rotor propelling shaft 54, bevel gearing 59, telescopic shaft 10, bevel gearing I6, rotor shaft 11 and rotor 18. The operator then starts the vehicle 25 forwardly into the snow to be cleared, by manipulating the usual vehicle controls, not shown, and as the vehicle advances into the snow the angularly disposed plow blade 42 pushes the snow aside, or in other words the snow is caused to travel along the face of the blade 42, and as it is thus pushed aside such snow is caused to enter the open front end of the rotor housing 14 wherefrom it is discharged or thrown by the rotor 18 in an obvious manner through .the delivery chute 19, said snow in most instances being thrown or discharged substantially in a lateral direction to a distance of fifty to one hundred feet from the path being cleared.

Actual experience and exhaustive tests of the present snow plow have shown and demonstrated that the same will clear snow from many miles of highways, roads, streets, or the like, in both directions, in a comparatively short time, providing, however, that the snow does not exceed approximately twelve (12") inches in depth.

When the truck 25 and its correlated plow 38 are to be moved from place to place, the plow blade 42 and rotor 18 are elevated substantially to the limit of their upward adjustment, so that such plow blade and rotor will be substantially clear of the ground and will not drag thereon or contact any uneveness therein while in transit. In this connection, it is to be here noted that all manipulations or adjustments of the plow 38 and rotor 18 are effected from the vehicle drivers seat 28, and that it is unnecessary for the operator to leave the same to effect any manipulation or adjust ment of said plow.

When it is desired to detach or disconnect the snow plow 38 from the truck 25, such detachment or disconnecting may be accomplished in a comparatively short time, by merely detaching or disconnecting the clamped angle iron 3| from the front axle 29 of he vehicle, removing the headstock 53 from the casing of the power take-off 58, and when necessary detaching the brace 12 of the bevel gear casing 'H from the bumper frame of the vehicle, whereupon the truck 25 is ready and in condition for ordinary commercial or hauling purposes.

In the slightly modified form of snow plow illustrated in Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, which form contemplates a separate engine drive for the plow rotor thereof and manually operable mechanism for raising and lowering the plow blade of same, the numeral 88 in said figures generally designates an automobile truck of any well known type, 8| the drivers seat thereof, and 82 the front axle of the same, to which is detachably secured the slightly modified form of snow plow herein generally designated by the numeral 83.

The snow plow 83 is detachably secured to the front axle 82 of the vehicle 80 in the identical manner to that hereinbefore described for the snow plow 30, and with this end in view the numeral 84 designates lug plates, corresponding to the lug plates 34 of the plow 30, to which are pivotally connected, as by pins 85, the rear ends of forwardly extending and diverging push bars or struts 86, which are rigidly interconnected at their forward ends by an angularly disposed structural steel framework 81, said forward ends of said push bars and said framework being normally supported upon the ground by castors or swivelling wheels 88 depending from brackets 89 rigidly secured to and extending laterally from the forward ends of the push bars.

Fixedly secured to and extending laterally from the sides of the framework 8 are vertically disposed guideways 90, wherein blocks 9| are slidably mounted, to which is rigidly secured an angularly disposed vertically adjustable plow blade or mold board 92, substantially identical in construction to the plow blade 42. Fixedly secured within the blocks 9| are upwardly extending vertically disposed plow blade adjusting screws 93, which at their upper ends extend through sectional casings 94 fixedly seated within brackets 95 rigidly secured to the framework 81, said sectional casings 94 being of the same type as the sectional casings 48 hereinbefore described.

Operatively connected to the screws 93, within the sectional casings 94, in the identical manner the forward end of the articulated shafts 5| are connected to the screws 48, are the forward ends of rearwardly extending and converging articulated plow adjusting shafts or rods 96, which ends are journalled for rotation within sleeves 94a extending rearwardly from said sectional housings ,94, see Fig. 9, said articulated shafts at their rear or convergent ends being journalled for rotation in spaced parallel relation within a sectional control box 91, operatively mounted in any desired manner upon any suitable portion of the vehicle 80, within convenient reach of the drivers seat 8| thereof, as for example, upon the vehicle dash board, not shown. Mounted for rotation and axial movement within the control box 9'! and interposed in spaced parallel symmetric relation between the rear ends of the articulated shafts 96 is a manually operable stub shaft 98 provided upon its rearwardly projecting end with a handwheel 99, see Figs. 9 and 10, said stub shaft being provided within the control box 91 with a spur gear I00 which is keyed, or otherwise rigidly secured thereon, adapted to jointly mesh with spur gears |8| keyed, or otherwise fixedly secured, to the enclosed rear ends of the articulated shafts 9G in offset relation with respect to each other, see Fig. 10, said spur gear I88 being also adapted, when its correlated stub shaft 98 is axially moved within the control box 91, to selectively and individually mesh with either one of the spur gears |0|, depending of course upon the direction of axial movement of said shaft, as will be manifest and apparent. To restrainingly maintain the spur gear Hill in joint mesh with the spur gears |8| and the stub shaft 98 in a corresponding intermediate position I provide the latter adjacent its forward end with a peripheral groove 88a wherein a springslon 01a of theboxfl, is adapted pressed ball llb, mounted within a sleeve extento seat when said stub shaft 28 is in its intermediate position aforesaid, and as substantially illustrated in Fig. 10.,

'rransversely disposed d rigidly supported upon the push bars ll, between the vehicle and the snow plow II, is an internal combustion engine, or other suitable power unit, I02, wherefrom an articulated driving shaft It! extends in substantially laterally disposed relation to the snow plow It, said shaft being adapted to drive a rotor unit herein generally designated by the numeral Ill, which unit is identical in construction to the rotor unit hereinbefore described for the snow plow SI, and in this connection, it should be noted that the rotor unit IN is also detachably connected, as by bolts I", to the rear or following end of the plow blade 92, as shown more clearly in Fig. 9. The engine or power unit I02 is adapted to be controlled and regulated from the driver's seat 8|, by any well known means, not shown.

The snow plow 83 is adapted to be rapidly and readily attached to its correlated automobile truck and similarly detached therefrom, substantially in the same manner as the snow plow 30 is attached to and detached from its correlated truck 25, that is to say, the push bars 86 are secured to the front axle 82 of the truck exactly as hereinbefore described for the push bars 38, following which the sectional control box 91, is installed upon the truck in the position selected therefor, whereupon the truck and snow plow are ready for snow clearing operations.

In a snow clearing operation by the snow plow 88, the vehicle operator first adjusts the plow blade 92 relative to the ground by axially moving the handwheel 88 to its mid-position, at which time the spur gear Hill is in joint mesh with the spur gears IIII, following which the operator turns the handwheel right or left to raise or lower the plow blade 92 in an obvious manner. If for any reason it is necessary to raise or lower either end of the plow with respect to the other end, the vehicle operator pulls or pushes upon the handwheel to cause the spur gear IIIII to individually mesh with one or the other of the spur gears I-III, depending upon which end of the plow blade 92 is to be raised or lowered, so that when the handwheel 89 is rotated in either direction raising or lowering of the particular end of the plow blade 92 is effected. Having secured the desired adjustment for the plow blade 92 the vehicle operator then starts the engine or power unit I02 from the driver's seat 8i, by any suitable means not shown. to thereby actuate the rotor unit I04, following which the operator starts the engine or propelling plant of the vehicle 80 and manipulates the usual vehicle controls, not shown, to start the vehicle 80 and snow plow 03 forwardly, and as the latter advances into the snow the plow blade 92 pushes the snow aside and the rotor unit I04 throws such snow further aside, all in the manner hereinbefore described for the snow plow 30. Upon completion of snow clearing operations the snow plow 83 is detached from the truck 80 and the latter is then ready for ordinary commercial or hauling purposes. 1 In the further slightly modified form of snow plow illustrated in Figs. 12 to 16, inclusive, which form contemplates utilizating the propelling or power plant of the vehicle for driving the plow rotor thereof and hydraulic apparatus for raising and lowering the plow blade of same, the numeral III. in said figures generally designates an automotive truck of any well known type, I01 the vehicle engine or power plant, I" the vehicle transmission, III! the vehicle driver's seat and I II the front axle of the vehicle,' to which is detachably secured the further slightly modified form of snow plow herein generally designated by the numeralj I I.

The snow plow III is detachably secured to the front axle II! of the vehicle I08 in the identical manner hereinbefore described for the snow plow 30, hence, the numeral II2 designates lug plates, corresponding to the lug plates 34 of the plow 30, to which are pivotally connected, as by pins iii, the rear ends of forwardly extending and diverging push bars or struts IN, to which is rigidly interconnected at their forward divergent ends an angularly disposed plow blade or mold board IIB, which latter, per se, and with the exception that it is directly and rigidly connected to the struts I, is substantially identical in form and construction to the plow blade 42 hereinbefore described. In order to strengthen and properly brace the forward end portions of the push bars I I4 I provide a tie bar or spacer I I6, which latter is interposed between said forward end portions and is rigidly secured thereto at its terminals, in any well known manner.

Fixedly secured to the push bars IIl adjacent their forward ends are upwardly extending vertically disposed brackets III, the upper ends of which are bent outwardly at right angles and terminate in heads I I'Ia, to which are fixedly secured the upper ends of depending vertically disposed pistons II8 having their major portions axially and slidably disposed within hydraulic cylinders I I 9, which latter are normally supported upon the ground by castors or swivelling wheels I20 opera tively attached to their lower ends as by bolts I20a substantially in the manner more clearly illustrated in Fig. 14. To effectively and properly guide the brackets I II for sliding movement relative to the hydraulic cylinders '9 during axial movement of the pistons II8 within the latter, I provide the peripheral walls of said cylinders with integral bifurcated lugs I led adapted to normally straddle the vertical reinforcing web portions II": of the brackets III, as shown more clearly in Fig. 12.

Connected to the lower ends of the hydraulic cylinders II9 are the forward ends of rearwardly extending fluid pressure supply and exhaust pipes I2I having flexible valved couplings I2Ia interposed therein, for a purpose which will hereinafter be made more apparent, said supply and exhaust pipes at their rear ends being connected to adjacent or contiguous branches of a fourway valve I22 having a plug I23 provided with a diametrically disposed port I23a adapted to normally or continuously register at its forward end with an arcuate channel or groove I22d formed within the body of said four-way valve I22, see Fig. 16, and with which the rear ends of said supply and exhaust pipes I2I are in normal and continuous communication.- To operate the fourway valve I22 I provide a manually operable actuating lever I24, which is fixedly secured to the plug I23, in any well known manner. Connected to the other or opposing branches of the fourway valve I22, for alternate and selective registration with the rear or opposite end of the port I23a, are a fluid pressure supply pipe I25 and a' fluid pressure exhaust pipe I26, respectively, said fluid pressure supply pipe I25 being connected at its opposite end to the delivery or discharge side of a pump III, while the opposite end of said fluid pressure exhaust pipe III is connected to the inlet or suction side of said pump III, which latter is preferably driven by an articulated shaft III from a power take-off herein generally designated by the numeral III. As shown in Fig. 15. this power take-off is provided with a casing IIIa, wherein the forward end of the pump driving shaft III is journalled and extends, and similarly journalled and extending within the opposite end of said casing is the rear end of a forwardly extending sectional rotor propelling shaft III, the adjacent or inner ends of said shafts being adapted to abut at a point within the casing IIIa, substantially midway its length. Bplined, or otherwise mounted, for axial movement upon the enclosed ends of the shafts III and III are jaw clutch members IIIa and IIIa, respectively, and freely or loosely mounted upon the abutting terminals of the shafts III and III is a gear III, which is normally in continuous mesh with a live gear I IIa of the vehicle transmission III, said gear III having complemental jaw clutch members IIIa and III!) formed upon its ends adapted to be engaged respectively by the jaw clutch members II and IIIa, whereby the shafts III and III may be independently or separately driven from the gear III or such shafts may be simultaneously driven therefrom, as desired or found expedient. To rapidly and readily effect engagement of the jaw clutch member II with its complemental jaw clutch member IIIa, and disengagement of the same therefrom, I provide a shipper or manually operable clutch lever IIIb therefor, and to similarly eifect engagement of the jaw clutch member "In with its complemental jaw clutch member IIIb, and disengagement of the same therefrom, I provide a shipper or manually operable clutch lever IIIb therefor, both of said levers IIIb and IIIb being disposed within easy reach of the vehicle operator's driving position, as will be obvious by referring more particularly to Figs. 12 and 13.

Returning again to the forwardly extending sectional rotor propelling shaft III, for further description of the same, said shaft is provided with a flexible coupling IIlIa. at a point intermediate the length thereof, for .a purpose which will hereinafter be made more apparent, and at its forward end such sectional shaft is connected by bevel gearing III to the inner end of a laterally disposed articulated telescopic shaft III, the adjacent ends of said shafts being journalled for rotation within a casing III, which encloses the bevel gearing III and may be either rigidly secured to the push bars III, as by a bracket I II, or it may be detachably secured to and supported upon any suitable portion of the vehicle I06, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described for the casing 'II of the snow plow III.

The laterally disposed telescopic shaft III at its outer end is adapted to drive a rotor unit herein generally designated by the numeral III, which unit is identical in construction to the rotor unit hereinbefore described for the snow plow II, and is also detachably secured or connected, as by bolts III, to the rear or following end of the plow blade I II, as shown more clearly in Fig. 12.

The snow plow I I I is adapted to be rapidly and readily attached to its correlated automobile truck III and similarly detached therefrom, substantially in the same manner, as the snow plow III is attached and detached from its correlated truck II, that is to say, the push bars III, are secured to the front axle III of the truck exactly as hereinbefore described for the push bars II, following which the detachable forward section of the rotor propelling shaft III is coupled to the rear section thereof by the flexible coupling IIIa, it being here understood that such rear section of the rotor propelling shaft III normally or permanently remains in the vehicle III, following which the forward sections of the fluid supply and exhaust pipes III are coupled to the rear sections of same by the flexible valved couplings II Ia, which latter also normally or permanently remain in the vehicle III, said valved couplings having automatic valves of any well known type, not shown, adapted to automatically close when the sections of the pipes III are disconnected, to thereby positively prevent escape of fluid from the sections of the pipes III. Upon completion of the foregoing the truck and its correlated snow plow are in readiness for snow clearing operations.

In a snow clearing operation by the snow plow III, the vehicle operator, if desired and necessary, flrst adjusts the plow blade III relative to the ground, by starting the vehicle engine III to drive the live gear "Ia and gear III, then manipulates the shipper lever II": to effect engagement of the jaw clutch member I IIa with its complemental jaw clutch member IIIa of the gear III and thus drive the shaft III and its pump III to build up the desired and necessary hydraulic or' fluid pressure therein, following which the operatormanipulates the lever III of the valve III to bring the port IIIa into registration with the fluid supply pipe III, whereupon the fluid pressure passes through said port into the channel IIIa, and from thence through the pipes III to the hydraulic cylinders III, wherein such fluid pressure exerts upward axial pressure upon and effects elevation of the pistons III, which latter in turn, through the media of their brackets II'I, elevate the forward ends of the push bars I I I and simultaneously therewith raises their correlated rigidly interconnected plow blade I II from the ground, it being here noted and observed in this type of construction, that all vertical adjustment of the forward ends of the push bars III and their correlated and rigidly interconnected plow blade II5 is eifected about the pivot pins III of said push bars III, while in the previously described constructions, their push bars normally remained in the same relation to the ground at all times and only their plow blades were vertically adjustable relative to the ground. When the desired elevation has been secured for the plow blade III the operator moves the handle III of the valve III to its closed position, to hold the fluid in the hydraulic cylinders III, and then manipulates the lever III!) to disconnect or disengage the jaw clutch member IIIa from its complemental jaw clutch member IIIa, following which the operator manipulates the shipper lever IIIb to effect engagement of the jaw clutch member IIIIa with its complemental jaw clutch member II"; of the gear III, to thus drive the rotor unit III through the media of the propelling shaft III, bevel gearing III and telescopic shaft III, as will be obvious and apparent, following which the operator manipulates the usual vehicle controls, not shown, to start the vehicle III and snow plow III forwardly, and as the latter advances into the snow the plow blade II5 pushes the snow aside and the rotor unit III pushes the snow further aside, all in the manner hereinbefore described for the snow plows II and 44. When it is desired to lower the plow blade Ill for any reason the operator manipulates the lever I24 of the valve I22 to brinl the.

port I220. into communcation with the fluid exhaust pipe I28, whereupon the fluid in the hydraulic cylinders II9 is released and is exhausted back to the suction or intake side of the pump I21 in a well known and obvious manner, following which the lever or handle I24 is moved to its closed position. In the present disclosure I have elected for simplicity of illustration and description, to show and describe a valve, as I22, which jointly effects raising and lowering of the pistons Ill and their appurtenant parts, but not independent or separate raising and lowering of such pistons with respect to each other, however, I desire to have it here understood that the present invention also contemplates the provision and use of a valve, which will effect Joint or independent raising and lowering of the pistons I It, so that either end of the plow blade III may be raised and lowered with respect to the other end, substantially in the same manner as hereinbefore described for the plow blades 42 and 92-, the present showing of the valve I22 being merely by way of illustration. Upon completion of snow clearing operations the snow plow I I5 is detached in an obvious manner from the truck I04 and the latter is'then ready for ordinary commercial or hauling purposes.

By pivotally connecting the plow III to the vehicle I06, as at H3, and by providing flexible couplings I2Ia for the fluid supply and exhaust pipes I2I and also providing a flexible coupling Iiila for the rotor propelling shaft I30, great flexibility between said vehicle and plow is definitely assured and any uneveness in the surface of the highway, road or street being traversed is effectively and properly compensated for, as will be manifest and evident from the foregoing description and by referring to the accompanying drawings. I

As hereinbefore set forth, the present invention also contemplates a novel method for clearing snow from a highway, road, street, or the like, involving transportation of the cleared snow to a dumping point more or less remote from its point of fall, which method is employed when circumstances and conditions positively preclude discharging or throwing the cleared snow 'oiT to the side of the highway, etc., etc., in the manner herein described for the snow plows 30, 83 and III. Accordingly I provide and employ a fleet of units such as diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 17 and 18, to carry out such novel method, in which figures the numeral I38 generally designates the highway, or other surface being cleared, I39 a conventional type of snow plow unit equipped with an ordinary plow blade, I! my novel and improved rotary snow plow unit, and I a conventional automobile dump truck, which functions as the snow transporting unit.

Briefly stated, the present novel method essentially consists in and is carried out by *accumulating or pushing the snow from substantially one-half the width of the highway upon the other half thereof with the conventional type of snow plow uniti39, substantially as shown at I42 in Figs. 17 and 18, to thereby create and provide on such cleared half a path for the dump truck or snow transporting unit I4I, as will be manifest and apparent by referring to Fig. 1'7, then as a separate and successive step traversing the highway with my novel and improved rotary snow plow unit I40 and the dump truck I,

- with the latter slightly in advance or the former,

as shown in Fig. 1'1, for areason and purpose which will now bemade more apparent. As the rotary plow unit I40 advances along the uncleared half of the highway its plow blade I4la pushes the snow thereon, together with .the accumulations I42 deposited on same by the unit III, towards and into its rotor I44b, which latter in turn discharges or throws the snow into the body of the truck or transporting unit I, substantially in the manner illustrated more clearly in Fig. 18, it being here noted in this connection I that the usual delivery chute I400 is provided with a detachable extension I40d for deflectlnk the snow downwardly into the body of the truck I. Manifestly, therefore, by employing the above described method and fleet of units, the entire width of a highway, road, street, or the like, may be cleared of snow in a single traversal thereof by such fleet, thus materially reducing the time the same is closed to vehicular trafiic. Furthermore, clearing off highways, etc., etc., with the present novel equipment or units can be efflciently effected at speeds as high as forty miles per hour (40 M. P. H.), so that it is possible, when clearing snow by the above described novel method, for vehicular traffic to follow immediately behind the snow clearing units.

In Fig. 19 I have diagrammatically illustrated my rotary snow plow unit as it would appear when clearing or cutting down a snow bank from the side of a road, or highway, the numeral I43 therein generally designating an automobile truck, I44 my novel and improved rotary snow plow, I45 the rotor of the latter, and I46 a snow bank at-the side of a highway or road I47.

In the operation of clearing or cutting down the snow bank I46, the rotary snow plow I44 is elevated to the desired height, as shown in Fig. 19, then rotation is imparted to the rotor I45 andthe vehicle I43 is started and steered in such a manner as to cause the rotor I45 to cut into the snow bank, a distance substantially equivalent to one-half of its diameter, see Fig. 19, and inasmuch as the rotor I45 is rotating at a comparatively high speed, said rotor rapidly cuts away the snow in its path and discharges or throws the same a considerable distance from the highway Hi. The above described operation may be successively repeated until the en- ,tire snow bank I46 is removed or cleared from the side of the highway I4l.

In the still further slightly modified form of snow plow illustrated in Figs. to 22, inclusive,

which form is particularly adapted and espe-;

Pivotally connected, as at I52, to the frame of the tractor I48 and extending rearwardly from their pivotal mountingsin spaced parallel relation to each other are upwardly offset control or steering handles I53, and integrally formed upon or connected to said handles at their front or pivoted'ends are forwardly extending push bars or struts I 54, the front end portions .of which are laterally and downwardly offset, substantially in the manner illustrated more clearly be described.

in ldgs. so and 21. for a purpose which will now interconnecting and rigidly secured to the front terminals of the push bars III is a plow blade or mold board III, the upper edge of which is curved forwardly and downwardly, as at "In, while, the lower edge thereof is provided with a detachable or replaceable cutter plate or strip "lb.

The numeral Ia designates-the forward projecting end of the crank or other shaft of the engine III, to the forward end of which is connected, as by a coupling III, the rear end of a forwardly extending rotor propelling shaft I" connected at its front end, as by bevel gearing III. to a laterally disposed articulated shaft III. the adjacent ends of said shafts being Journalled for rotation within a casing III, which encloses the bevel gearing III and is rigidly connected to or supported from the push bars III by a depending bracket or brace ill, see Figs. 20 and 21.

The laterally disposed articulated shaft III, at its outer end, is adapted to drive a rotor unit herein generally designated by the numeral III, which unit is of the same general type, as the rotor units hereinbefore described for the rotary snow plows II, II and ill, said rotor unit III being in the present instance detachably secured or connected, as by bolts III, to the rear or following end of the plow blade III, as shown more clearly in Fig. 20.

In a snow clearing operation with the caterpillar type of rotary snow plow above described, the operator starts the engine III and manipulates the usual tractor controls, not shown, to drive or move the tractor plow to the point of snow clearing operation with the plow blade III and rotor unit III elevated from the ground, so that the same will not contact with any obstructions while the tractor plow is in transit, said rotor unit II! being disconnected from the engine I" at such time, by any well known means, such as a clutch, not shown. Upon reaching the point of snow clearing operation the plow blade I" and rotor .unit III are lowered and the latter is connected in an obvious manner to the engine I to thus effect rotation of the same, whereupon the tractor plow is advanced into the snow on the sidewalk, trail, path, or the like, and as the same advances the plow blade III pushes the snow to be cleared towards the rotor unit II2, which in turn throws or discharges such snow a considerable distance therefrom, substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 22. As will be obvious and apparent by referring to Figs. 20 to 22, inclusive, vertical adjustment of the plow blade III and rotor unit III is manually eifected by the operator merely raising and lowering the control or steering handles III.

In the foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings 1- have shown and described the rotor units as being detachably secured to their correlated plow blades, but, I desire to have it understood, that such rotor units need not necessarily be so connected to the plow blades, but, may be attached to or located upon their propelling vehicles at various points thereon more or less remote from the plow blades thereof, and function thereat with equal efilciency. Further, while I have shown and described the plow blades and rotor units disposed forwardly of their propelling vehicles, it is to be understood that the same may be mounted beneath or behind such vehicles, the present showings and descriptions being merely by way 75 of illustration. Furthermore, by providing deble, and'economical in construction; is reliable and efficient in operation: will not readily get out of order; may be rapidly and readily attached to any of the well known types of automobile trucks in general use and similarly detached therefrom to permit such trucks being used for ordinary hauling or trucking purposes during seasons when there is no snow; is mounted and adapted for vertical adjustment either manually, mechanically or hydraulically; is provided with a rotor unit which may be driven by the power plant of its correlated vehicle or by a separate engine drive; will not leave any ridges or windrows on any part of the surface being cleared, thus eliminating all the trouble and annoyance heretofore experienced by reason of the same; and which is adapted to clear snow from highways, etc., up to speeds of forty mfles per hour (40 M. P. H), so that vehicular tr'ailic may follow immediately behind the same.

' While I have herein shown and described the invention with sumcient detail to enable those skilled in the art to which it pertains to understand the mode of construction and the principles involved, it is to be understood that there is no intentional limitation herein to the specific form and precise details of construction shown and described, except as expressly defined by the ap pended claims, and that various modifications of the same may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the benefits derivable therefrom. It is also to be understood that certain features of the invention herein disclosed may be employed in and with other combinations than those shown and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. The combination with a vehicle, of a snow plow comprising a frame pivotally mounted at its rear end upon said vehicle, a. wheel mounted upon the forward end of said frame for supporting the same thereat, a plow blade angularly mounted upon the forward end of said frame, a rotor housing similarly mounted upon said forward end adjacent the discharge end of said plow blade with its axis substantially .in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a rotor in said housing, means for driving said rotor, and means for effecting raising and lowering of the forward end of said frame relative to said supporting wheel.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of a snow plow comprising a forwardly divergent frame pivotally mounted at its rear end upon the forward end of said vehicle, a plurality of wheels mounted in spaced relation upon the forward end of said frame for supporting the same thereat, a plow blade angularly mounted upon the forward end of said frame, a rotor housing mounted upon said plow blade at the discharge end thereof having its lower rim portion disposed in tangential relation to the lower edge of said plow blade and with its axis substantially in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a rotor mounted within said housing, means for driving said rotor, and means for effecting raising and lowering of the forward endo! saidirame relative to said supporting wheels.

3. The combination with an automotive vehicle having a driver's seat, of a detachable snow plow comprising a frame adapted to be removably secured to the forward end of said vehicle, a plow blade angularly mounted upon the forward end of said frame, a rotor casing mounted upon the discharge end of said plowblade having its axis disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and its lower rim portion disposed substantially in'the plane 01' the lower edge of said plow blade, arotor mounted within said housing, power means for driving saidrotor controllable from the driver's seat, and means also controllable from the driver's seat for regulating the height of the plow blade and rotor casing in relation to the ground.

4. The combination with an automotive vehicle having a driver's seat, of a detachable snow plow comprising a frame adapted to be removably secured to said vehicle, a plow blade angularly mounted upon said frame, a rotor casing mounted upon the discharge and of said plow blade having its axis disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and its lower rim portion disposed substantially in the plane of the lower edge of said plow blade, a rotor mounted within said housing, power means for driving said rotor controllable from the driver's seat, and means also controllable from the drivers seat for regulating the height of the plow blade and rotor in relation to the ground.

WALTER HEWITT. 

